Loner
by I am Sky daughter of Zeus
Summary: After the war with Gaea, Reyna is left alone because Jason had dumped her for Piper. She seeks comfort from a place where happier memories reside, but that might be where she gets the biggest surprise of her life... Rated K plus because of romance.


**This is a horrible one-shot that I wrote about Jason and Reyna while I was bored. Don't judge!**

**Disclaimer: Me no own PJO or HOO. That goes to RR.**

* * *

The praetor chair beside me is empty.

That is because I am a loner.

I twist my dark curls between my fingers as I completely ignore the ascending pile of problems in New Rome and instead gazed out the window.

New Rome is beautiful, by the way.

I could go and describe it on and on, but there was only one thing that caught my eye outside.

The Greeks' _Argo II_.

The war fighting _Terra_, Mother Earth, was finished, and the Seven of the prophecy were quickly disbanded. Hazel and Frank had enthusiastically re-joined the Twelfth Leigon, but Percy, Annabeth and Piper wanted to return to Camp Half-Blood, hands down. Leo was more of a free spirit, wandering off with his many machines.

So that left only one person who wanted to go back to Camp Half-Blood.

Jason.

I hated to admit it, but a special tingle traveled down my spine every time he looked at me, while the tiny scar on his lip kept my attention. My lips twisted in disgust and bitterness as I saw Piper playfully leap on Jason.

_My_ Jason.

There was no reason Jason would like me. After all, I was his ally, no more, no less. He couldn't even _remember_ our travels and quests together, just the two of us. That part, even though I hated to admit, was the best part of my bittersweet life. Then he had to disappear, leaving me to shoulder the role of praetor and fend off Octavian's relentless requests for a praetor vote. Bellona forbid why I did it. Maybe it was because a part of me kept hoping that Jason would come back.

Oh, boy, he _did_ come back, but not the way I expected. He arrived in an orange_ Greek_ t-shirt that read 'Camp Half-Blood' with _another girl_.

I sighed as I drew the drapes over the window and reflected on my love life. Percy had rejected me, and so had Jason. They both left me for their 'own' purposes (Percy, for Camp Half-Blood and Jason for his _girlfriend_), leaving me to bear the burden of something meant for two people. I knotted my fingers together. Maybe a walk would clear my mind.

"Hey, Reyna!" Jason called immediately after I exited. "Can you show Piper the meeting place that we used to go to? I forget where it was."

Though my face was a calm, smooth mask, underneath I was seething with rage. How dare he? That was _our_ private place, where the footprints of any other person would've tainted it, and the _Greek_ girl, Piper, should be forbidden to set foot on it. That place was sacred, where we used to hide out behind there for fun and talk for hours without stop. Now I go there alone, smothering myself within memories of a happier place, a happier time.

Why should I go miss-nice-girl on Jason, just because I liked him, and why should I let him do anything he pleased in _my_ city? I knew I should've kicked him out the moment he arrived in New Rome wearing a _Greek_ t-shirt.

"No." I spat, my temper getting the better of me. "If you weren't so utterly _stupid_, you would've known by now!"

Piper stepped forward, her eyes blazing. I curled my lip. I had been shut inside the suffocating cube that was the praetor work-ish place, and now my daughter-of-the-war-goddess instincts were craving a fight.

"Just because you're so bitter about losing people doesn't mean you have to influence others!" she scolded, and for a moment I felt like a child being scolded by a teacher, until I realized that she was simply using her charmspeak to sway me, and it only fueled my anger, overwhelming her charmspeak-hold.

"Why don't you just go squeal about how your mascara's one centimetre out of place, pretty girl?"

"Why don't you just have a spaz attack and punch yourself in the face?"

"Hmm, well, maybe it's because I actually _have_ common sense, unlike a certain daughter of Venus that's standing right in front of me!"

Piper narrowed her ever-changing-colored eyes. "Are you insulting me?"

I threw up my hands sarcastically, "Wow! You _actually _got it!"

Jason looked between us, clearly panicking. I rejoiced in this. _Payback_, I thought. _Payback for all the horrible things you've done to me after coming back with Piper. _

"C'mon, Rey, please, could you stop?" he begged.

"_Don't call me Rey_!" I snapped, instantly on him. "My _friends_ call me Rey. You will address me as Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Leigon, and nothing else."

Jason protested, "But I _am _your friend!"

I eyed him with steely brown eyes. "The _Roman _Jason was my friend. You're his Greek equilivent."

Jason instantly gave me his puppy-dog eyes that he knew I couldn't resist. "Puh-lease?" he asked in his most innocent little-boy voice.

I knew better to be fooled by his petty tricks. "Get lost before."

Jason blinked, his cuteness act forgotten. "Before what?" he asked, mystified.

I answered, "Before this," right before I punched him in the face.

I didn't wait until he collapsed. I just ran through the streets of New Rome, clearly seeing that no one cheerfully greeted me with their gossip, that no one chirped my name, that no one even smiled in my direction.

That is because I am a loner.

Hazel and Frank briefly waved at me before turning back to their debate~whether dragons could breathe Greek fire ("But maybe _Greek _dragons could!" Pause. "Hazel, I don't think origins make a difference.")~leaving me to hide in an alleyway.

Suddenly, the pressure was too much for me. Sole praetor, no friends to support me and no love life. A sob built up in my chest, and I shook it away. I didn't _want_, but _needed _to go to the place where I had spent my happiest days of my life with Jason.

I briskly jogged toward one of the greatest buildings in New Rome~the clock tower (which was near six hundred metres high)~where delicate designs that seemed to take a lifetime to complete was carved in smooth, pearl-like white marble. The setting sun made the marble have a pinkish glow.

Finding the familiar design of a square on the side, I dug my fingers around the mortar and pulled. The rubbery fake mortar came off in one clean strip, no mess. I couldn't help but notice that no one seemed to even acknowledge my existence.

That is because I am a loner.

Without the (fake) mortar to hold it in place, the square fell off the building, revealing an opening inside the massive building. I quickly entered and replaced the fake mortar and square. Usually the strip of fake mortar took lots of virgous tugging to pull it off, but if it was recently put on, then it would be easier. I shrugged. Maybe I came to the secret meeting place more often than I thought.

Navigating the rusty gears and springs easily, I noticed that they were unnaturally warm, because the clock tower had stopped working a decade previous, but the building itself was so beautiful that no one had the heart to take it away. I shrugged again. Probably myself.

It didn't take me long to climb to the top, even though I had to climb six hundred vertical metres to get there, because halfway up was a built-in elevator that I found seriously convinient.

I couldn't help but notice that no one outside said, "Hey, where's Reyna?" or, "Has anyone seen Reyna?".

That is because I am a loner.

The elevator skimmed smoothly up to the top and I admired the machinery. Whoever built this must've been skilled, because I was sure this would take at least a batrillion years to finish this.

As I reached the top platform, I looked up at the giant bell at the top. It used to be pure gold, I guessed, but years and years after tolling the bell had grown dirty and dented, and when it grew unused, a layer of dust had descended on it. A small window was there, illuminating the small platform. I gazed out at New Rome, washed in varying colors of dark beige, pink and orange. Suddenly, I saw something in the distance.

The _Argo II _was taking off.

I felt panic engulf me. Jason...Jason! Jason was leaving! I whipped around and sprinted, not caring if I had to drop all six hundred metres to reach Jason, as long as I did. Today...today I had been horrible to him, because of how bitter I had become. I was barely off the platform when something crashed into me.

Er...no. Correction: Some_one_.

"Jason?!" I squeaked in surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought you went on the _Argo II _to be with Piper?" I tried not to keep the tone of bitterness out of my voice, but failed.

Jason sighed.

"Rey...I...I don't know how to put this...but..."

"Put it bluntly." I blurted out.

Jason looked at me happily as if to say, _Phew! Thanks for taking the pressure off, Rey! _

He hesitated, as if not knowing what to say, when I scowled, "Just spit it out, dammit!" that seemed to encourage him.

"I broke up with Piper." he said.

I blinked, unsure if what I just heard was right. "You...what?"

Jason nodded. "You heard me right. I broke up with Piper."

"But..but.." now it was me struggling for words. "But why?"

Jason looked at his worn sneakers, suddenly intrested in the _Nike _logo. "Well, because, now that I've thought it over and heard it from Percy, I realized that you were the better choice."

I was no longer angry; I was puzzled. "What do you mean, 'better choice'?" I asked.

Jason looked embarrassed. "I wasn't totally in love with Piper, it was sort of a triangle. And Percy told me that he got the same thing. You came in first, we got a lot of chemistry between us, then Piper entered my life, and I was completely immersed with her, though Percy chose Annabeth, the girl who he had a lot of chemistry with, instead of the girl who had recently entered his life."

I understood. "So I'm like Annabeth and Piper is like the other girl?" I asked again.

Jason nodded. "Yeah..." he mumbled.

My brain skimmed over the words that he had just said. "Wait," I cautiously stated. "what do you mean, 'it was a triangle'? Does that mean that~"

Jason cut me off by kissing me.

It was a weird sensation, because I've never kissed another boy before, but immediately I liked it. My arms unconsciously drew over his shoulders, and I became aware of his arms around my waist.

We broke up, both red-faced.

"Yes," Jason whispered. "It was like a triangle."

* * *

The Greeks are gone now, and we Iris-message with each other daily. The tension between us is gone.

I easily wake up in my private praetor room. The familiar, comforting room that I have known for a while, already. I pull myself out of bed and I pull on my praetor toga while munching on a slice of buttered toast. I scramble out, still combing my hair and brushing the crumbs off my face as I enter the praetor work-ish place, where the pile of work is neatly divided into two.

And the praetor seat next to mine is filled with a certain blue-eyed, blond-haired son of Jupiter whom I have known to hate and love.

Many of Jason's friends drop by during the day to chat, and the atmosphere is relaxed. The day almost sprints past us, and it's already sundown.

As I exit the praetor work-ish room, hand-in-hand with Jason, we greet some of Jason's friends and the friends that I have made while ripping apart Octavian's complaint about how unfair it was that I immediately elected Jason praetor.

As I entered my room, I realized that I seemed oddly happy for a reason, until I knew why.

I was no longer a loner.

* * *

**Yeah, I told you. Horrible. Now, just review and tell me what you think. Oh, and Jasper fans, if you flame me anonymously with cuss words, I'll remove that and if you login to flame with cuss words, I'll report that. Your choice :PPPP**

**-Sky**


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